Two manure spills in Iowa on Wednesday

State officials say about 1800 gallons of liquid manure was spilled at LDR Ranch Company near the town of Harper in Keokuk County Wednesday afternoon and up to 2000 gallons of manure was spilled in Hamilton County Wednesday morning.

Authorities say someone who was operating a tractor didn’t properly shut it down at the Keokuk County hog facility and the pump in the manure pit started up again when he was away from it. Some of the manure ran into a tile line. The tile line fed into an unnamed creek that’s a tributary of Clear Creek. The tile line was blocked and a dam was built to try to contain the manure in that unnamed creek on Wednesday. Tests on Thursday morning found high ammonia levels in the creek, but no fish had died.

The other manure spill happened northeast of Williams on Wednesday morning. State officials say there was “thorough removal” of the manure due to “quick thinking” from the owner of a manure management company and staff from Iowa Select Farms, so none of the manure reached surface water.